


Arena Born

by CrystalSpirit



Series: Arena Battle [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 22:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5432906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalSpirit/pseuds/CrystalSpirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Avalon was practically born for the Arena Battle."</p><p>Put in the 100th annual Arena Battle, Avalon doesn't realize what she's gotten into. It seems fine at first, the rules simple enough:</p><p>1. No going outside of the Arena unless it is Intermission.<br/>2. No climbing on the walls to escape the monsters.<br/>3. No hiding in the Trader's Cove.<br/>4. No friends from the audience (in case they try to help you, which is not allowed).</p><p>But Avalon spots a boy about her age that she can't seem to get off her mind. Will she break the most important rule, Number 4, just to be with him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arena Born

I opened my eyes, laying on the ground. I got up, my feet wobbly, and I couldn’t even remember what had happened before I got into the stone room, lit up by small torches on the walls. A loud voice boomed above me. “Attention, audience. After a few years of waiting, the hero has awoken. Everyone, let’s hear it for Avalon!” I could hear loud cheers coming from outside of the iron bars in front of me.

As I peered through the spaces in between the bars, I saw a young boy smiling at me. He was clapping and cheering like the rest of the people around him. _Arthur_. The name popped into my mind. It clicked. He looked exactly like a picture of King Arthur that I saw, although I was not sure how I remembered how the image looked like. The short, black hair, and hazel eyes, with the same face and nose and eyes and everything.

The loud voice spoke again. “Let us wait for our precious Avalon to get ready for the 100th annual Arena Battle!” More cheers erupted from the crowd, which soon died away into soft chatter and feet pounding on the ground.

I was startled by a hand that was on my shoulder. A middle-aged woman was smiling softly at me, blue dust falling to the ground around her. She had grey hair and cold, blue eyes, yet her face and skin made her look remarkably young. As the dust melted into the ground and disappeared, the woman stood up straight and said, “Hello, Avalon. Welcome to the Arena Battle. I am Crimson, your Teacher. Let me explain the basics: Your skills will be tested throughout the Arena Battle, over the course of three days time. If your survive, like me, you will become a Teacher. Anyways, during the Battle, you will be fighting many creatures and gathering gold. Trade them with the Trader, who you will meet when you step on that tile over there,” Crimson pointed to a black tile that was implemented in the dusty floor. “That will teleport you to a room with the Trader, who will take your gold in exchange for supplies.”

Crimson walked over to a set of large levers. “These will activate the cages. They contain monsters that your will fight and gain gold through. Once you defeat all the monsters, you are done. You’ve finished the Arena Battle. Simple enough?” I nodded, since everything made sense. Just kill the monsters, get the gold, get supplies, and live. _Seems easy_ , I thought.

“Attention, audience. Avalon has learned what she needs to learn. Open the gate!” The loud voice rang through the stadium and a large boom shook the ground. The jail bars that separated me between the people started to inch open. It lifted, and the crowd cheered my name as I stepped out. The light blinded me. Back in my cage, I couldn’t see much. Cage. I was put in a cage. The thought disgusted me.

I closed my eyes, shivered, and opened them again. Crimson was calling my name, and I ran back into my area and hugged her. I collapsed, crying, and looked down. This was the first time I saw myself. I had orange hair, wavy and reaching down to my sides. I had dark baggy shorts on, and a tan, torn shirt. I had no shoes. Crimson pulled me up and I asked, “What color are my eyes?” She replied that my eyes were green. As I heard my voice for the first time, I realized that it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. It was sweet and melodic, aside from the rasp. I haven’t been talking for a few years, it seemed. And it was.

Crimson got me some gloves with blades coming out of the knuckles. “Punch the monsters with these. It’s what all the heroes wear when they go to Battle. Good luck, and if you die, don’t worry. You’re not the first one to go.” Her words scared me. I took a deep breath and went out to face the monsters.


	2. The Wendigos

I looked back as Crismon pulled the first lever. She stepped on the black tile and disappeared into a blue shimmering dust. I heard a gate open, and a few Wendigos hobbled over to me. At first, I was frightened by their grotesque faces and rotting flesh. I punched one in the face, and it covered its eyes where I stabbed it. It let out a horrifying screech, and fell to the ground, bursting in a cloud of smoke. In its place laid a small gold coin, about the size of a quarter. I ran past the remaining Wendigos and gathered the gold piece. I ran back into my room and quickly stepped on the tile.

The world went dark for a second, and then I appeared in a room with a man quietly reading a book. He calmly looked up and smiled. “Your first gold piece, I see. Give it to me.” He took it from my hands and brushed the dust off. “Worth... A stick.” He put the shiny coin into his pocket and handed me an old stick. “Get five more and you’ve got yourself a good sword, made of rock. Maybe not as sturdy, but useful if you need it.” He patted my hand and I left the room, holding the stick.

When I got to my chamber, the Wendigos were waiting outside. I charged ahead, and punched another Wendigo in the eye. But when I tried to pull my hand out, it wouldn't budge. Three other Wendigos were slowly approaching me, and I didn't have another glove for my left hand. I suddenly remembered my stick. I whipped it out, and jabbed it in the chest of the nearest Wendigo. It squealed, and before it disappeared, I swung it around with all my strength towards the two other Windigos. The antler of the swinging Wendigo stabbed another creature in the neck, and it's hoof hit the eye of the second monster. They all died. I felt my glove free, and the Wendigo that I got stuck in burst into smoke.

I looked around, panting, and gathered the four coins. Another Wendigo was limping over to me. I punched it's neck, and it dropped to the ground, leaving another coin for me. When I entered the shop, the man was already holding a piece of string and a large stone shard. “I've been watching you fight. You will make a great hero... if you live.” I give the coins to the man in exchange for the supplies. “Here, make you sword on this table.” He led me to a scratched, wooden slab of wood that he called a table. “All heroes build their weapons here. So, position your stick and stone the way you want them to be.” I did as he said. During the process, I made a big scratch on the wood. “That's okay,” he said. “All heroes make scratches on the table at one point in the battle. Now, tie the stone and wood together.” I wrapped it around the sword and knotted it tightly. I even double-knotted it. “Very good. Now, go back to battle. Oh, here’s a tip - Their eyes are their weak spots.” I nodded, thanked him, and went back into the Arena. The Wendigos were waiting for me, and so was Crimson.

But she looked... Different. I realized that the Wendigo was holding her by her bloody neck, and her eyes were torn out. Her spine was hanging on the ground and blood covered the Wendigo. And I screamed.


	3. Intermission

I charged at the Wendigos, swinging wildly with my sword. A few seconds later, I opened my eyes, and the floor was covered in gold. I picked them up slowly, and looked at the crowd. They were cheering loudly. I gave them an angry glare, and ran to the Trader.

“Well well well... I see you’ve broke your sword already. Give me the gold.” I handed it to him, and threw the broken sword in the corner of the room. “I'll give you a sturdier sword. Here,” he handed me a sword that the knights of King Arthur would handle. Arthur. The name made me think of the boy in the crowd. I remembered how he cheered for me.

I found myself blushing madly, and I told myself to stop. We don't even know each other yet! The Trader was shoving me towards the black tile that sent me back. “Go! Remember the rule? No stalling in the Trader’s cove.” With one last push, he sent me back to my cage.

I watched Crimson's body being taken away by some men, who disappeared behind some vines at the back of my cage. I've tried to escape through there, for I've seen Crimson do it once. I was daydreaming about what could be outside of the Arena. Large buildings full of friendly people, no monsters, food and water... I never realized how hungry and thirsty I was.

Then I glanced at the Wendigos that were crowding in the entrance of my cave. I walked up to one and stuck my sword into its chest. It screamed and disappeared. The other Wendigos were looking at me. I killed a few more, a percentage of the Wendigos that were left. When I killed all of them, which lasted about thirty minutes, the crowd went crazy. I went outside and looked for Arthur, and I spotted him, waving at me. I tried to wave back, but I remembered rule four. I just smiled lightly. "Attention! Avalon has defeated all of the Wendigos!" The loud voice hurt my ears. "Now, Intermission starts! Treat Avalon like she is just a regular person. Unless she talks to you, don't start a conversation with her. She is still adjusting. When I entered, I immediately ran to the vine exit. Crimson was standing there, looking like she wasn't harmed at all.

"Where were you?!" I asked, hugging her tightly.

"I'm fine. It was just a dummy. Don't worry," she said, stroking my hair. "Let's go out for Intermission." She led me towards the vine-covered wall, which looked solid to me. Crimson placed her hand on a brick that was jutting out of the wall, but I didn't see a change. She walked through it like there was nothing there. I had no choice but to follow her. The world around me seemed to manipulate itself in a split second. I found myself a bit dizzy, but when I saw what was in the opening, I forgot about what happened in the Arena.

Food stands. Everywhere. And drink stands. It seemed like a whole different place. I heard Crimson say, "Go ahead. Enjoy yourself," as she gave me a handful of money. I ran around, looking for the best smelling - and best-selling - kiosk. I slowed down when I saw Arthur lining up at a pizza booth. I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hi," I said. He smiled at me.

"Hi, Avalon. Great job in the Arena. You have a pretty good chance of getting out alive," he said, complimenting me. I blushed again, looked away to avoid eye contact. But I thought that he might think I'm awkward, so I asked him a question.

"How long is Intermission?" He seemed like he knew the answer.

"About an hour," he said, running his hands through his hair. I could see his muscles, which made me blush some more. "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't done a proper introduction. The name's Arthur," he said, putting his hand out for me to shake. I took it and smiled.

"I know," I said, instantly regretting it. Arthur looked at me confused. "I mean, I know now. Anyways, I'm Avalon." I slapped myself mentally. "You already knew that, didn't you. Sorry," I realized I was still shaking his hand, but for some reason, I didn't want to let go. I did anyways because my hand felt sweaty. We stood there for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity, until a girl with long dark brown hair and brown eyes came up to us.

"Arthur," she said, grabbing his hand. "Let's go! I found a healthy fruit smoothie stand with a make-your-own salad bar!" She pulled him and he looked at me apologetically.

"We'll meet in ten minutes here," he whispered before he lost the tug-of-war battle with the girl. When he left, I felt a hole in my heart start to form.


	4. Rule Number Four

It was ten minutes. I ate my pizza (which was delicious), got a cup of pomegranate and mint tea (which was also delicious, although it burnt my tounge a little), threw the trash away, and went back to the stand. I looked around and saw Arthur coming to me.

"How did you escape?" I asked.

"I just told her that I needed to use the restroom," he replied with no signs of nervousness in his eyes.

"Who is she anyways?"

"My girlfriend. Evie," he looked back calmly. "I don't think she'll come looking for a while. She's not the smartest girl ever," he finished with a chuckle. _I would like to have an "accident" happen to her._ I thought.

"Anyways... How long have you been together? Do you really like her? What does it feel like to love someone?" I wondered out loud.

"Well, we've been together for six months now, yes, I do really like her, and..." His voice faltered at the end. He looked me straight in the eye. "Well, you can't stop thinking about them. When you see them, your heart starts beating really fast, and sometimes the world around you seems to fade away. You get lost in your own thoughts." We stared at each other's eyes. My heart started to beat faster, and the world around me faded away into the background, and I got lost in my mind, and I just couldn't stop thinking about Arthur.

He took a deep breath, snapping me back to reality. "Well, Evie is probably wondering where I am. I better go," he turned around but I got a hold of his arm and stopped him. He turned around and stared at me for a couple of seconds. He slowly started moving towards me, and he put his hands on my cheeks. I started to heat up as he moved his face closer to mine. He kissed me softly, and put our foreheads together for a second before breaking away and heading the opposite way. I steadied myself on the wall. What just happened? I slid down my back as my heart fluttered, wishing the kiss would have lasted a heartbeat longer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, um... That escalated quickly. ❤️

MORE BELOW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked around the outside of the Arena multiple times, thinking, _What do I do?_ At one point, I needed to go to the bathroom, so I went inside. When I sat down, I thought, _What was Arthur thinking? Kissing me like that, putting ourselves in danger. I can't avoid him forever, though. I'll just go talk to him._

I walked out of the bathroom, but then walked back in. Arthur was there, holding hands with Evie. I peeked around the corner and saw him looking into the bathroom.

"Arthur! You mustn't become friends with Avalon! Rule Number Four? Hello?" Evie waved her hand in front of Arthur's sad face. He didn't move one muscle. "Come on! If you keep looking for her, I'll break up with you. I swear on my life. I'll count to three." She raised one eyebrow as Arthur stayed still. "One. Two... I don't wanna do this, but you're going to make me." She looked into the bathroom, clearly nervous. "Three." Arthur just started into the bathroom. "Fine! If you're going to like her more than me, I guess I'll just go." Evie looked close to crying. "That's it!" She cried out. "I never should have asked to be your girlfriend in the first place! Good riddance!" She strutted off, her hands covering her face.

I slowly came out of my hiding spot. Arthur stared at me. I walked up to him and kissed him, long and sweet. He put his arms on my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. When we pulled apart, Arthur was crying.

"Please, don't cry," I said, wiping away the tears.

"How can I not? I lost Evie, but when you go back there, I might lose you too," he said, hugging me. I buried my face into his fruit-smelling chest, and cried with him. I hoped that no one would see us here, but I guess that didn't matter because what I felt at that moment was like none other. I felt like I needed to protect him from whatever was going to hurt him.

He pulled me into a passionate kiss, and I gladly kissed him back. _Anything to make him happier and forget about whatever was making him sad,_ I thought while he pulled me closer.

When the kiss ended, I looked up into his eyes and said, "I love you. I don't care about Rule Number Four." He nodded.

"I love you too."


End file.
